ANAHEIM — The Angels’ lost weekend in the nation’s capital demonstrated a frustrating trend.
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The Angels lost three one-games to the Washington Nationals, completing a nine-game trip in which the Angels lost all five one-run games they played. For the season, they are 16-29 in one-run games. That’s the most losses in the majors in those games.
While the knee-jerk response is to blame the bullpen for that record, first-year Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said it’s not that simple.
“You can also look at things earlier in the game,” Suzuki said. “Maybe you didn’t execute a bunt or you didn’t get a guy over, or you didn’t get a guy in. So there’s a lot of things. Maybe you didn’t make a play. I always look at the big picture. Being a catcher, everything gets magnified at the end of the game, but, you know, I try to look at the whole big picture and seeing if there’s ways earlier in the game that we we could have helped prevent that.”
The Angels have a .356 winning percentage in one-run games. Combined with their surprising propensity for blowout victories, the Angels’ overall run differential is negative-76.
Normally, that run differential suggests a record of 66-83, which is 10 games better than their actual record. There are only four teams in the majors whose expected record is more than six games different than their actual record.
All of that doesn’t count for anything when the Angels (56-93) are staring down the possibility of the first 100-loss season in franchise history.
“All those one-run games, if we come out on top, it could be a whole different story here,” Suzuki said. “But that’s not the way it went. You just find ways to learn from them and see how you can improve and hopefully flip the script.”
PLAN FOR KLASSEN
Right-hander George Klassen, who is on the injured list with back stiffness, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday. It will be his first time throwing off the mound since he was placed on the injured list two weeks ago.
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Time is running out for Klassen to pitch again this season.
“I definitely want to,” he said. “I’m taking every day like I can get back, so that’s that goal. I’m going to keep doing everything I can to get back out there.”
Klassen has continued playing catch the entire time he’s been on the IL.
Suzuki was noncommittal when asked if Klassen could start again this season.
“I know he’s feeling good,” Suzuki said. “We have to make sure we check all the boxes before he gets out there.”
Klassen, 24, had shown significant improvement in his four August starts after four months in the minors, with a 2.01 ERA in 22⅓ innings. For the season, he has a 3.67 ERA.
NOTES
First baseman Nolan Schanuel (intercostal muscle) was scheduled to play again at Triple-A on Tuesday. Schanuel was hitless in three at-bats on Sunday night. …
Right-handed reliever Sam Bachman (nerve inflammation) pitched a scoreless inning, with two strikeouts, on Sunday at Triple-A. Bachman averaged 98 mph and hit 99 mph with his sinker. He will pitch at least once more with Salt Lake and then be re-evaluated. …
Right-hander Tyler Bremner, the Angels’ top pitching prospect, will start in the first game of Rocket City’s Double-A playoff series on Tuesday night. Bremner had a 4.44 ERA in five starts at Double-A this season. …
Mike Trout was the DH for a second straight game on Monday, which Suzuki said was a concession to the demands of the cross-country flight the Angels took following Sunday’s game.
UP NEXT
Mariners (RHP Logan Gilbert, 12-9, 3.72 ERA) at Angels (RHP Ryan Johnson, 4-8, 5.12 ERA), Monday, 6:38 p.m., ABTV, 830 AM
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